


In Too Deep

by EvenstarSelene



Series: Midnight Cinderella Prince Series [2]
Category: Midnight Cinderella (Video Game)
Genre: Bodyguard Romance, F/M, Folklore, Guardian-Ward Relationship, Halloween, Jealousy, Secret Crush, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-06-11 20:38:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15323832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvenstarSelene/pseuds/EvenstarSelene
Summary: On Halloween night, Albert comes to terms with his feelings toward the Wysterian princess, unfortunately for him, the princess is set to marry Byron.An internal struggle rages within himself,  though really, winning was never an option.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello dear loves! I'm back with my next installment in my Prince series, and this time we take a look at the loveable Albert.
> 
> Please enjoy.
> 
> Selene the Evenstar presents:

-and her wails could be heard all throughout the village, as the woman searched for her children…   
The very children she drowned in her jealous rage." Albert said in his creepiest voice, facing away from the visiting princess of Wysteria.

She was supposed to be studying in the main library of Stein castle, but here he was now, telling the girl a horror story. He was her tutor and guardian, and since king Byron was usually busy, the task of keeping her happy and safe fell on him.  
He was surprised when he mentioned that it was Halloween that very night, and that the princess had no idea what that was.   
(How silly, of course her country must have different customs and holidays)  
She seemed fascinated at the ingenious custom of knocking on doors in town and getting free treats. Of course, she was disappointed to discover soon after that only children went out trick or treating, giving a quick huff of disapproval. 

And of course, she suckered him into telling ghost stories as soon as she grasped the basic idea of how Halloween works.  
And -sigh- of course he couldn't deny her request especially when she looked at him with those pretty eyes of hers.

He heard the princess gasp, and he slowly turned around, feeling out of character and almost silly, but he hoped that at least his theatrics added a suspenseful effect to his story.   
"They say that to this very day, the ghost of the woman still haunts rivers and streams, in a vain search of the children she murdered. They say that her search becomes even more desperate on this particular night. " He could see the princess visibly shiver as she hugged herself, her eyes wide with fright and her lips quivering involuntarily.   
"Y-you mean because its Halloween?" She asked, 

"That's right princess. Those who are unlucky enough to hear her wretched wails will be dragged by her into the river, meeting a terrifying, watery end after witnessing her hideous face." 

Just then, they heard something click gently in the distance.   
The princess nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound, and she was next to him almost immediately upon hearing the noise.   
He, of course, was also a little startled by the unexpected sound, but he regained enough sense to try and calm her.  
He looked down at her, her eyes wide and her brows scrunched as she scanned the area, and he couldn't help the bubble of protectiveness that formed in him.  
"Don't worry princess, it was probably just the wind. If I recall correctly, you have a habit of not closing doors all the way, so any small little draft moves them." She looked up at him, and he could see a light dust of pink adorn her cheeks.

-so beautiful…

"You really think that's what it was?" 

"Of course. Come, I'll show you." He said, having every intention of letting her walk in front of him, but instead the jumpy princess clung to his arm, and now it was his turn to blush. He, of course, would never allow the princess to see this. Instead he cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses as he walked towards the entrance of the library, where sure enough, the door hung by its hinges, moving ever so slightly with the gentle draft coming from the windows.

"See?" He said, and this time he couldn't keep the gentle touch from his voice. This seemed to calm her enough to release him. She gave a cheeky giggle and a shy sideways glace his way as soon as she realized what had scared her. 

"I'm sorry Albert, you must think I'm so weak." 

He took in a deep breath, and he once again pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. 

"Of course not. In any case, I'm here to protect you."

"Oh? From what?"

Albert shot the princess an almost incredulous look.   
Was she possibly… teasing him?  
He could feel his left eye twitch, all thanks to that seemingly innocent question.

"From anything. From everything." He replied, hoping to sound icy and detached, but he knew he was doing a miserable job of it.  
No, in fact he was sure that he couldn't be more obvious. He tried to deny his feelings for the beautiful and playful princess since the moment they met. But it was becoming nearly impossible to be around her anymore without wanting to hold her hand or kiss her...

-She's his Majesty's chosen… I can't.

His thoughts brought a heavy ache to his heart.   
His deeply instilled loyalty for King Byron clashed with his undeniable love for the princess.   
The thought of her in the arms of another man threw him into a sudden and unexpected loneliness.   
He watched her practically skip down the long hallway as soon as they exited the library, and he was suddenly aware of something he had hidden in his breast pocket.  
Of course, he knew that he would be possibly teaching her about Halloween, so he decided to illustrate their tradition by immersing her in it… namely, it was an excuse to give her a present.

"Princess?

"Yes Albert?" 

Albert reached into his coat pocket and took out a small black box, and held it out to the princess, who took the mysterious object, looking down at it and at Albert with a questioning glint in her eyes. 

"I… please accept this, in honor of Halloween, as a token of cultural exchange from Stein to Wysteria."

"Huh? Wha-" She didn't even finish speaking when Albert heard a gasp come from her lips, though he didn't see it since he turned his face away in embarrassment.   
"Albert, are these-"

"Yes, they're fruit candies." He said, trying to sound sure of himself but he was a rattle of nerves. Sure, he had taken the candies along with him just in case the subject of Halloween came along! After all, it was his duty to educate her on Steiner traditions.  
Sure, they were the best strawberry hard candies in the entire country, which certainly didn't cost him a good chunk of his salary….

"For me?!" She asked with an excited grin. 

"Yes…" 

"Oh Albert." She managed to say before she placed her hands on his shoulders, forcing him a bit down while she stood on her tip toes to give him a chaste kiss on the cheek.

Albert felt every nerve in his body kick into overdrive at the sweet sensations he was feeling, and he did everything in his power to not wrap his arms around her and steal her away for ever.

"Thank you. Oh but Albert, I don't have a gift for you."  
She said, looking up at him through her beautiful long lashes as she began to bite her lower lip.

-please don't do that princess… oh heavens, how I wish I could bite those beautiful lips myself…

"I don't expect anything in return." He said, his voice coming out soft and almost wistful.

"Still…"

"Don't you worry about that princess. We're here." He said as he opened the heavy door to her guest chambers, taking a lamp sitting on a small decorative table outside her room and lighting it for her, placing it in her room before turning to look at her one last time that night.

"Good night…" 

"Good night."

He walked slowly to his room even as he heard the door to her room click shut.  
Just as he was about to round the corner he heard it:

"Ahhh! Albert!"


	2. Chapter 2

Princess!" He called out, bolting towards her room, opening the door to, calling out to her in her dark room in a panic.

"Albert!" She said as she slipped out of the shadow, and into his waiting arms.

"Are you okay? What happened?" He said as he squeezed her tightly in his arms. 

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry its just that... my lamp went out and it was so dark and I… I got scared." 

-its all my fault for scaring her with those silly legends…

"Don't worry, I'll light your fireplace." He said.

 

Before long, he had a big, blazing fire going for her, which helped warm the room nicely.

"Ah, thank you." She said, as she popped another candy into her mouth, with Albert refusing one when she offered.

"Is there anything else I can do for you princess?"

She thought for a second, she even began twining her fingers together as she seemed to be searching for the right words to say.

"Do… do you think you can stay with me?" 

"What?!" He choked out as he processed what she said.

"Please Albert, stay with me."

"B-but why?" 

"I'm too scared" she said as she plopped down on her bed, her arms spread out almost comically. 

"Scared? You mean of the story I told you?" He asked, his voice deadpan despite his trembling heart.

"Yes." She admitted with a cute pout.

"Oh but princess that is fictitious." He said as he pinched the bridge of his nose, in part out of exasperation, but mostly because he was trying anything to keep her from noticing how badly what she said had affected him.

"Oh-" 

His eyes widened suddenly when he heard the clear disappointment in her voice.

"Wait, I meant that you shouldn't be afraid... because I'm here. I'll be here. I'll always protect you. Be it from cold swords, venomous snakes, and yes, even wailing ghost women. I'll gladly lay my life down for you. Tonight, tomorrow, always. So long as I have air in my lungs, blood in my veins and strength in these bones…you'll always be safe."

She felt her eyes quiver as she listened to his impassioned speech, getting so much more than she had originally expected from the quiet, stoic bodyguard of hers.

"So does that mean you'll stay?"

"Yes. I'll be sitting right here next to you princess." He said, pulling up her desk chair, settling it next to her bed.  
He saw her smile with relief and she hopped off her bed to give him a massive hug, which he reciprocated with a strong embrace of his own, wanting to bask selfishly in the warmth of her body.  
Too soon, she let him go.  
She quickly went into her bathroom and soon she came out wrapped in a thick robe which he assumed hid her nightgown underneath. Even her hair was brushed out into an easy ponytail.  
He watched as she settled into her soft bed, and she gave him one of those dangerously lovely smiles.

"Albert?" She asked, looking down at her cupped hands with half lidded eyes, he assumed it was because she was tired. 

"This is for you. Happy Halloween." She said, as she uncupped her hands and revealed a small enamel hair pin which he could recall was her favorite since he'd seen her wear it so often. He looked at the smiling girl, his lower lip hanging open slightly as he tried to comprehend what she was offering him. 

"I know candy is traditional, but… I wanted to give you something too. I hope it's okay… I mean it's not much but-"

"Princess, I couldn't possibly-"

"Please?"

"But this is a fine Wysterian treasure crafted for you alone, how could I-"  
The princess sat up in bed, looking at him with pleading eyes, so sweet and honest he felt himself becoming warmer from her gaze alone.

"But… I want you to have it. So that you can remember me, even when I'm not in Stein." She said as she placed her beautiful, soft hand over his that held her hairpin. His eyes slowly lowered to her hand, and he felt overwhelmed by a flood of emotions coursing through his body. She squeezed his hand shut tight, and gave a satisfied, wispy little giggle.

"I'll treasure it, princess. I promise I will."  
He said as he brought up his clenched fist to his heart.

"Albert?" She said sleepily as she lay back down on her pillow. 

"Thank you. Thank you for always making me feel safe. I'd rather spend time with no other." His eyes went wide at her groggy declaration, but even in her sleep fogged state she realized what she had said and she quickly corrected herself.

"- ehem… except for Byron, of course."

Of course.

"Good night." She yawned as she snuggled her warm, plush pillow and blanket. She gave him one last smile and closed her eyes.

"Good night princess … " 

He settled down on the chair and looked down at the small gift she had given him. 

-as if I'd ever be able to forget you… no matter how hard I try, I can't pry you from my heart.

Albert couldn't remember the last time he felt so wrought with emotions.   
Before he even realized what was happening, he felt a tiny drop of water crash onto his wrist. 

He took a sharp breath when he realized the droplet had come from his eyes. 

-what?! 

He brought an ungloved fingertip to the smooth skin under his eyes, and he felt tiny pools of tears gathering there. 

He stared down at the teardrops still on his fingertip.

"I'm…"

The coil around his chest tightened ever so gently as he looked at the sleeping figure of his princess, threatening to make more tears spill from their source- his heart.

He could take no more. He checked to make sure she was fully immersed in her slumber and he quietly took his leave, stealing one more glance at her peaceful face before silently closing the door.

Now back in his room, he sat on his bed, body hunched over as he stared down at the wooden floorboards. He refused to cry any longer, but the pain in his chest was nearly unbearable. 

He loved the princess, he loved her so much it literally hurt. 

"Maybe I'm just having a heart attack." He sighed, but he knew that wasn't the case.  
He lay gently down on his bed and he closed his eyes, feeling like they would start spewing tears if he kept them open.   
But there it was, her smile, there in his mind, always following him, and soon his thoughts melted into a deep yet troubled sleep. 

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡


	3. Chapter 3

It was early in the morning when Byron called Albert to his study.  
Albert had been experiencing a horrible quality of sleep as of late, and last night was no exception.   
Byron had taken notice, and wondered if perhaps he was working him too hard.   
He knew Albert was far too loyal and far too devoted to his work to ever complain, but Byron felt the need to help his friend relax.

"I'm here, your majesty." Albert said as he slid into the study. 

"Good morning Albert. I called you so early to inform you that I have cleared my schedule for the next few days, and I'll be escorting my future bride from now on." 

"O-oh… but, your majesty, I-" 

"No buts Al, I've seen how tired you've been. I know I've been asking so much from you lately, what with the princess here, so I've decided to give you a break." 

Albert looked down to the ground, not sure what he could possibly say to change Byron's mind.  
He felt a twinge of helplessness at the prospect of not being the princess' prime guardian anymore during her trip, but really, what could he possibly do?   
Byron was slated to marry her, and Albert knew that Byron was indeed very fond of her….

"I understand. It will be a pleasure to accompany you and the princess, your majesty." He said with a respectful bow. He looked at Byron, that twinge of helplessness morphing into something else, something ugly he didn't even want to think about, but it was getting hard to ignore.

"Not to worry old friend, you have the next few days off. Nico has volunteered to take your place, that way you'll be able to completely unwind.

It was unfair, and Albert knew it, but he felt a swell of anger and anxiety at the prospect of not being able to see her, or even be near her. The thought of just how much he'd miss her scared him, but what was even more disturbing were the other thoughts coursing through his mind.  
In his mind, he cursed Nico for always finding a way to interfere with his plans. 

The pangs of jealousy towards Byron were what disturbed him the most though.   
While he always knew that she would eventually marry him, he felt content knowing that she would come to depend on him in Byron's absences, but now Byron was taking even that away. 

"Al?" Byron called his name when Albert failed to answer as he was trapped in his thoughts.

"Pardon me, I was just thinking for a second."

"Okay, so, go off and rest Albert. You deserve it."

"Your majesty, I really must protest. I feel fine, I can certainly be on duty today."

"It's already been decided Al, you've been doing a good job as her royal guardian , it's time you rest."

Before he could say anything more, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in." Said Byron, and in walked the princess, looking pleasantly surprised to see Albert there. 

"Oh! Good morning Albert." She said, stopping to offer him a friendly nod.

"Good morning princess." He returned her greeting with a deep bow.

"What are you two up to?" She asked as she walked to Byron, who extended his hand to her, and when she placed her hand in his, Byron kissed it before pulling her close and giving her a chaste kiss on the cheek. She giggled and gave him a kiss on the cheek as well while her eyes glittered with happiness.  
Albert averted his eyes.  
He knew she belonged to Byron, to his King, but he couldn't help the whirlpool of jealousy that churned in his heart at seeing them be so affectionate.

"I was just telling Al that he has the day off today, Nico is going to accompany us in his stead." He said as he locked an arm around her waist.

"Oh that's wonderful! Yes Al, please take it easy today, you deserve it."

"See Al? Her orders are absolute, after all." He said playfully as they both smiled tenderly at each other.

"Oh yes Albert, you've been so patient and kind with me these past few days, that I think it's a great idea for you to have the day to yourself."   
Albert once again looked down to the floor, cursing himself for feeling so rotten and miserable.  
She didn't need him.  
And she didn't want him. She wanted and needed Byron, not him.   
A gigantic lump began to weigh down on his chest the more he thought about it.

"I thank you both for your kindness and generosity towards me. I appreciate your consideration greatly. If I am needed for nothing more, I'll take my leave." He said, head still down, eyes firmly shut as he willed them to stop feeling so hot and heavy.

Perhaps it was best if Nico accompanied them. 

Though he had endured many physical pains in the past, nothing he had experienced compared to the searing pain seeing them together and happy caused him.

"Go enjoy your day Al. Don't worry about a thing." 

"Yeah, everything will be fine." She said as she wrapped her arms around Byron. He turned away quickly after bowing to them, and closed to door to Byron's study before letting out a shaky breath.

He got a hold of himself enough to begin walking back to his room in defeat.  
Like they asked, he went back to his room, locking himself in as if the solid wood door could keep his feelings out too.  
He walked toward his desk and melted into the chair, wishing that somehow it would swallow him up to make everything stop hurting so badly.   
His eyes caught sight of the small hair ornament the princess had given him, and he traced the edges of it with his fingertips. He remembered the gentle smile she gave him as she handed him this gift, and he couldn't help smiling a broken smile himself.   
He brought the small gift up his his lips, and gave it a small kiss.

"I love you. And I don't care that you don't love me, that you'll never love me. All I care about is being with you, and around you always. Maybe only as your bodyguard, and only as a friend… but I'd gladly float by your side forever as your shadow than face the agony of being away from you. Perhaps someday, someday far, far away, in another life… I'll be able to say to you how much I truly love you." 

He could think nothing more as a deep sleep overtook him, taking him to that other world, far, far away.

**Author's Note:**

> The tale Albert was telling the Main Character in the very beginning was a variation of the famous Latin American legend of "La Llorona" which I borrowed for use in this story ^_^


End file.
